By Illinois Review
The Illinois Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on Tuesday morning on cashless bail, according to the court’s clerk – the highly controversial provision under the SAFE-T Act that allows non-violent offenders to return home while awaiting trial.
The elimination of cash bail garnered national attention last year as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed his controversial criminal justice reform package through the legislature.
The SAFE-T Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2023 eliminates cash bail.
Under the provision, judges can make a determination and keep defendants behind bars if they pose a threat, a security risk, or if they are likely to flee before their trial – but many have argued that such a provision violates the separation of powers and could return violent criminals back into their communities as they await trial.
Illinois remains the only state in the country with a provision to end cash bail.
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